had originated, and Serg. Weischaar appeared with two buckets of
water. He and Lieut. Kinnison at once flooded the floor, seized a
woolen cloth which happened to be near, and wetted down the boxes of
Hotchkiss ammunition as a measure of precaution.

[Illustration: The "Hornet."]

McGee, the hero of this episode, is an old veteran of the Civil War,
having served three years in the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
during the war, and five years in the Regular Army after the war. He
has never drawn a pension nor applied for one, although he suffers
considerably from disease and wounds contracted and received during
the war, and certainly should be rewarded by a grateful government for
his conspicuous heroism. The explosion of this magazine would have
brought the whole expedition to a standstill, besides inflicting
tremendous destruction of property and frightful loss of life.

The same day the Artillery of the army began to draw its material for
the campaign, and for a period of thirty-nine hours there was no rest
for anybody connected with the issue of ordnance stores. It was at
this time that the lack of intelligent marking and packing of the
boxes was keenly felt. The greatest difficulty was experienced in
selecting, from the mass of stores in the depot, the stores that were
required by the Artillery. It was especially difficult during the work
by night, when the only light that could possibly be allowed was a
single lantern, on account of the danger of fire.

At the close of this thirty-nine hours of arduous duty, the officer in
command of the Gatling Gun Detachment learned that orders had been
issued for the embarkation of the 5th Army Corps at Port Tampa, and